roofer in Awendaw, SC

AWENDAW — Just stop all the rapid home construction and let us catch our breath.

That’s the message this small coastal town is delivering to developers with a temporary ban on most new subdivisions.

In the fastest-growing state in the nation, Awendaw is among an increasing number of local governments adopting moratoriums that halt some types of development for a short time or for many years.

The justification for such moratoriums is typically to create time to update local development rules, usually to make them more strict once the moratorium is lifted. That’s the case in Awendaw.

The rural village of about 1,400 residents in Charleston County sits just above Mount Pleasant, and the towns share a municipal border. Mount Pleasant became South Carolina’s fourth-largest municipality after decades of suburban development and has about 94,000 residents.

Mount Pleasant residents eventually got fed up with rapid growth, more traffic and crowded schools. The town now has limits on annual building permits, high development impact fees and a moratorium on multi-family construction that has been in place for seven years.

Awendaw Councilman Kent Prause had a front-row seat for much of Mount Pleasant’s love/hate relationship with growth because he was the town’s zoning administrator. Prause has been leading the push for Awendaw’s moratorium on zoning changes and subdivisions.

“Volume builders and tract home builders are coming in,” he said. “They pretty much built out Mount Pleasant and now they are coming here .”

“The people didn’t like it and that’s why the moratorium is in place,” said Prause. “They don’t want it to be Mount Pleasant.”

Boom & Balance

The Awendaw moratorium hasn’t been finalized, but it took effect in January under what’s known as the pending-ordinance doctrine. That means the rules took hold as soon as Awendaw’s council gave initial approval to the measure, although a final vote at a meeting scheduled for March 7 is still needed.

The ordinance states that “Town Council finds that the increase in the number and size of large-scale residential developments in the Town pose a risk to public health, safety, welfare, and quality of life in Awendaw...” for many reasons.

The moratorium wouldn’t halt developments that have already been approved. What it would do is:

Of course, moratoriums can also be extended, as Mount Pleasant has done multiple times with its ban on new multi-family housing.

And Awendaw’s moratorium rules could change before they get final approval. The town’s Planning Commission recommended a 10-parcel cutoff for new subdivisions, instead of five, and allowing zoning changes on parcels of less than 10 acres.

At a Town Council hearing Feb. 22, no one spoke in favor of the Planning Commission’s recommendations. Several residents urged the council to approve the moratorium without changes.

“We’ve already approved so many homes in this town,” said Susan Cox. “We need to stop it, and figure out what is going on.”

Developers paid limited attention to Awendaw for a long time because the town lacks a sewer system. New developments need to use septic systems, which require state permits and are more likely to fail in places where the water table is high.

But the Charleston area’s population growth and Mount Pleasant’s limits on development and lack of available land have increasingly pushed development up the coast.

SC Climate and Environment News

In 2022, Awendaw approved a 204-home subdivision on 148 acres near Seewee and Bulls Island roads over objections that its more than 200 septic systems could fail and send raw sewage into the waters near Cape Romain Wildlife Refuge.

Awendaw can’t ban septic systems because there’s no other option for treating household sewage, but in 2023 the town made it more difficult to build dense subdivisions where each house has a septic system. Awendaw adopted rules for minimum lot sizes, distance from wetlands and other regulations.

“It seems the less stringent rules are letting developers come in and have their way with the town,” Planning Commission member James Gardner told council members at the time.

The pending development moratorium is the latest result of a change in attitudes and leadership in Awendaw. In the earlier 2000s the town aggressively sought to grow its boundaries through annexations — prompting court challenges — and approved some large subdivisions.

“Managed growth is the key to Awendaw’s future,” reads the first sentence of a large, framed copy of the town’s vision statement, on the wall where Town Council meets.

AWENDAW, S.C. (WCSC) - Some homeowners in Awendaw say they are concerned severe weather may be bringing severe problems to their properties.

Community members living on Seewee Road claim more recent storms in the Lowcountry have caused drainage issues for roadside ditches along the six-mile stretch of rural road.

“My backyard is just totally covered with water,” neighbor Stephen Flagg says. “My front yard has been totally covered with water. I mean, something just needs to be done.”

Flagg lives on the same portion of land as his grandmother, Lillie Swinton. The family has called Seewee Road home since the 1960s. They say they have noticed the problem for decades.

Both Swinton and Flagg say taking care of the ditches along the property is one thing, but they believe fixing the ditches along the wooded areas and uninhabited spaces would make a big difference.

“Anytime we have heavy rain, the water settles. The ditch drain, there’s nowhere for it to go,” Swinton says. “When summer comes, we’re going to have a lot of trouble with mosquitos, and moccasin snakes.”

At one end of Seewee Road sits the Town of Awendaw Town Hall. Town Administrator Gregory Saxton says he has heard the concerns of neighbors and relayed them to the South Carolina Department of Transportation for assistance.

Seewee Road is a state road and therefore maintained by SCDOT through work orders.

“We just want something to be done. Because after all, we’re taxpayers, just like others. We should be able to have access to things, just like the other communities,” homeowner Alberta Goodwine says. “When it’s raining, the water just settles into the ditches and overflows in the yard. It’s a nuisance.”

Goodwine worries parts of the neighborhood community have been neglected. She adds it is a problem that affects her social life and her daily routines.

“When I step out, I’ve gotta have a boot on coming off the step. To protect myself,” Goodwine says. “Put pipes or something, so drainage will go somewhere, not on my property.”

SCDOT spokesperson Ginny Jones released the following statement:

We had a crew work on ditches along Seewee Road Jan. 2-5. Last week, the crew had to work on storm recovery efforts, but we have employees back out there today. The crew will not be onsite tomorrow due to a regularly scheduled safety meeting, but they will return on Thursday and Friday, as well as next week if necessary. Our crews are digging along approximately 9,100 linear feet of roadway, so it is taking some time, but we will continue to work on it as needed.

Regarding a work order, the answer is both: A citizen may enter an online work request, or a municipality may enter a work request on behalf of a citizen. Online work requests can be submitted here: https://apps.scdot.org/mwro/

We have been in touch with the Town of Awendaw about this work. Please let us know if you need any further information.”

When asked for clarification on how uninhabited portions of the road are maintained, Jones released this response:

SCDOT maintains what is in our right of way. If the land belongs to a municipality, county, or other party, we often work with those folks to plan for maintenance, but there are a lot of different ways that can look.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

AWENDAW, SC (WCIV) — For weeks, Awendaw residents have been expressing concerns about the potential of hundreds of new homes coming to their community.

"Town council has approved 822 new residences with more on the docket tonight," Awendaw resident John Cooke said. "Those residences come with a population that will at least double our current population."

Read more: Awendaw residents fear housing boom could threaten town's rural charm

However, Mayor Miriam Green says the population will not be doubled.

"It's not the truth," Green said. "It's not a total of 800 homes. And if it is, they still have to go through planning."

"I can't say it's 800, 9,00, or 1,000 homes because I don't know," she continued. "But in the preliminary plan, yes, it did say certain amount of homes will be built up there."

Green describes the development plans as "smart growth".

Mayor Miriam Green describes the development plans as "smart growth". (WCIV)

"We are following ordinance and processes of procedures and state guidelines," she said.

In response to the concerns about the development plans being too much in too little time, Green says the town has to follow guidelines and the rules.

"Just because someone comes to you and says 'This is what we want,' doesn't meant that's what the majority of the citizens of Awendaw want," the mayor said.

Residents have also expressed concerns about how new developments may affect Awendaw's roads and infrastructure.

Read more: Ten Mile Neighborhood Association challenges proposed approval of development along Seafood Road

"Last meeting, I heard emergency services people talk about the fact that they were concerned about their ability to support the town," Cooke said. "The roads, the infrastructure might not be able to support (new development). The roads that were made in the early 1950s-60s are still the ones being used today and could fail."

Green says the infrastructure, road, and traffic issues are being analyzed as part of the development plans.

"We're looking at all that stuff," the mayor said. "We have a traffic study in place, but it doesn't happen overnight."

Another concern is the septic tanks that will be used for the new development, which Green says the town is working on with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC).

Read more: Zoning denial a 'win' for some Awendaw residents

"20 years when all these systems start to fail, you could have an ecological disaster that could affect a lot of bulls bay and the intercoastal waterways," Cooke said.

The evening of Aug. 21, the Awendaw Planning Commission reviewed the Harper Valley proposal. It was denied in a 5-1 vote.

Cooke says people who live in Awendaw are banding together in opposition and they are asking for a moratorium to slow down the development.

"It's a growing pain in Awendaw," Green said. "It's not the people that live here. It's the people that came here."

Charleston is a region steeped in history, and every corner has its own story that contributes a piece of the Lowcountry’s historical tapestry.

The Town of Awendaw, located along U.S. Highway 17 N between Mount Pleasant and McClellanville in Charleston County, has Native American roots through the Sewee tribe.

The Sewee tribe lived along the lower part of the Santee River, along the coast to the westward divide of the Ashley River, in present-day Moncks Corner and Dewees Island. Sewee, which means “Islanders,” were one of more than two dozen Native American tribes that occupied the South Carolina coast long before European settlers stepped foot on the coastal soil.

In 1696, settlers who retreated from Salem, Massachusetts, after the Salem Witch Trials founded “Wappetaw,” which is now known as Awendaw.

Like most Native American tribes, the Sewee people were impacted by diseases and warfare. However, their mark on the land still stands today in the form of a shell mound.

The Awendaw Sewee Shell Mound is one of the oldest and northernmost mounds found along the Carolina coast and is comprised mainly of oyster shells. Similar Native American shell rings can also be found in Mount Pleasant and Hilton Head Island. According to archeologists, the Sewee mound is believed to be roughly 4,000 years old. While it is generally thought that the mound was a dumping ground for old oyster shells, there are theories that the shell rings served a ceremonial purpose.

The Sewee Shell Ring is located near a preserved freshwater marsh, and the site can be seen from a new trail in the Francis Marion National Forest that reopened in 2022, replacing the wooden boardwalk with a fiberglass structure that is designed to last longer and withstand storms. The one-mile self-guided trail features five interpretive stops and views of wildflowers, salt marsh and tidal creeks. It’s a perfect way to immerse yourself in the beauty of the Lowcountry and experience the land where the Sewee once lived.

While little information remains about the daily lives of the Sewee people, local historians and the Town of Awendaw have made an effort to research and remember these Native Americans who lived, hunted and fished in this area. The Sewee name can be found at various establishments throughout Awendaw, such as the Sewee Outpost store, the See Wee Restaurant, the Sewee Visitor and Environmental Education Center.

Whether you’re just visiting the area or taking up permanent residence in Awendaw, be sure to plan a trip to the Francis Marion National Forest and allow yourself to walk in the woods, be surrounded by the unspoiled beauty of the Lowcountry, and visit the historic shell ring to pay tribute to Awendaw’s first residents.

CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - A $5 million federal investment will soon add 446 acres of land along the South Carolina shoreline.

Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge is currently made up of 22 miles of barrier islands. Sarah Dawsey, the refuge manager, has been working with nature preservation since she was in high school and joined the Youth Conservation Corps.

“This has been a lifelong goal for me. I mean, I can’t tell you how ecstatic I am to get this money. We have barrier islands, the refuge is barrier islands, and they’re only accessible by boat,” Dawsey says.

Coastal Expeditions does run a ferry to Bulls Island for a fee so those interested can visit for the day. There is a public dock on the island for those with boats to use as well.

“This money will allow us to have a tract on the mainland, where we can have trails, we can have hunting, fishing, environmental education, everything that we do on the islands, but to a greater extent and you don’t have to have a boat so it’s really exciting,” Dawsey says.

She also notes that a mainland tract is a step toward a future corridor connecting the refuge to the Francis Marion National Forest.

Durwin Carter is the project leader for Cape Romain, Ace Basin, Santee and Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuges. He says any addition of land is a huge win for conservation efforts, wildlife and the people nearby who can enjoy it.

“It ties directly into what our mission is. Our mission is essentially working with other partners to conserve these lands and habitats and the critters that use it, for the public to enjoy,” Carter says.

Dawsey and Carter pointed out how erosion from storms and sea level rise are threatening the barrier islands and, in their time at the refuge, they have seen the saltwater breach into ponds on Bulls Island and encroach further into the land each year.

“With the threats happening with development and habitat fragmentation and sea level rise, any additional lands that we can conserve are going to be beneficial. We do what we do for the wildlife, for the habitats and for people to enjoy. But we also do it for future generations to enjoy,” Carter says.

The funding comes from the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund. The fund is made up from the sale of Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps, commonly known as Duck Stamps, and import taxes.

The refuge has a visitors center located off Highway 17 where people can learn more about the conservation work and migratory bird protection the islands offer. Dawsey says people are always welcome to visit Bulls Island as long as they come with respect for the wildlife and leave it as they found it.

“If you see birds flying around or acting unusual or dive bombing you, that’s a signal that you’re close to their nest and they’re just trying to protect their babies,” Dawsey says.

Cape Romain is home to more than 290 bird species that migrate through the area as well as other animals like alligators, deer and sea turtles.

“We are just winding up our field season, so we have a really big loggerhead sea turtle project, it’s seven days a week. We do a lot of posting for birds and stewarding to keep people out of the bird areas and educating people on why it’s important,” Dawsey says.

Carter says his staff and volunteers are grateful for the land the refuge currently gets to take care of. They are looking forward to the expansion once the sale is finalized and eventually to hosting wildlife and visitors on the new mainland tracts.

“We’re really lucky to have the jobs that we have because they really enjoy their time out on the water of Cape Romain; really enjoy their times out on the trails, enjoy their times out appreciating the refuge, doing birdwatching, fishing, hunting, whatever it is, we’re constantly reminded of how great our jobs are because we get a chance to see this every day,” Carter says.

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